


You Idiot

by InuShiek



Series: Defect [1]
Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: (yes I'm going heavy on tags I'm sorry it's not that bad), Aftermath of Torture, Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe, Autobot AU, Cuddling & Snuggling, Flirting, Fluff, Injury Recovery, M/M, Post-Episode: s01e16 Operation: Breakdown, Reunions, Slash, Teasing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-02
Updated: 2015-04-20
Packaged: 2018-02-27 21:55:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2708126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InuShiek/pseuds/InuShiek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With Knock Out on his comm asking for his location, Breakdown has a choice to make. Can he really return to serve a leader who'd left him for dead? Is the idea of staying with the Autobots any better? Though they had come to rescue him from MECH....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Still Your Idiot

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while back, and I think I'm happy with it. I went a little heavy on the tags, but really, if you could handle the episode, I doubt this will phase you at all.
> 
> I HOPE to write more on this. We'll see what happens, but I TRY to write chapters that aren't cliffhangers. _try_

Silas had confused him by saying that his rescuers weren’t Decepticons. Then again, Breakdown thought it was entirely possible that the human simply had members of his faction confused. It wouldn’t be the first time that an alien species had difficulty distinguishing some bots from others despite how varied their paint schemes and frames were. But that had definitely been Optimus Prime’s voice Silas had been conversing with, even if Breakdown couldn’t make out their words over the sounds of the tools being used to open him up.

When he’d heard loud banging, weapons firing, and then heavy steps running toward him, Breakdown had been infinitely relieved both at the promise of somebot being the cause of them and because the MECH agents stopped their work. Finally, the Decepticons were going to-

That’s not a Decepticon on the security footage. Silas was right.

Breakdown had to work hard not to let his apprehension show on his face as Bulkhead had approached him, and he managed to make it resemble surprise as he let his helm fall back and the Wrecker reached for him.

“It must be your lucky day,” Bulkhead had said, and Breakdown was ashamed to admit that he’d flinched until the Autobot had ripped his restraints off.

The Autobots coming to rescue him would be strange, but Bulkhead? Alone? At least Bulkhead seemed as surprised by his own actions as Breakdown was when he’d asked, so Breakdown was reasonably sure he wasn’t in some alternate dimension. The fact that Bulkhead had also told him to point his hammer away from him was also a good sign that he wasn’t dreaming, but Breakdown remained confused until he encountered more MECH agents.

Once they were outside and had driven off the remaining humans after Bulkhead had called Optimus Prime for backup, Breakdown had looked around for a member of his own faction, even though Silas had said none were here. He wasn’t sure he was ready to transform and escape from the Autobots- not that his alt mode was built for outrunning anyone in the first place.

“Uh… Run into any Cons on your way in, Bulk?”

“Nu-uh,” Bulkhead had shaken his helm, watching Breakdown warily. While he had saved the blue mech for a rematch and to prove himself to Optimus, he wasn’t prepared for that rematch at the moment. The green Wrecker hoped the other Autobots arrive soon.

Breakdown had opened a comm to Knock Out, then. “Any chance for some backup, Knock Out?” he’d asked.

“Breakdown! Where are you? Megatron wouldn’t let us come and get you, said you were on your own. Give me your coordinates and I’ll send a bridge to you,” Knock Out had replied almost frantically.

“H-He said what,” the blue mech had said. It wasn’t really a question.

“Don’t worry about that now, just tell me where you are, Breakdown. I can’t get a fix on you.”

But Breakdown hadn’t really heard him. How could Megatron just abandon him? He didn’t expect the warlord himself to come and break him out of that MECH base, but a small platoon of vehicons at least would have been appreciated. _Bulkhead_ had saved him when his own faction wouldn’t- wasn’t allowed to. Breakdown had to assume that Optimus Prime had ordered that he be rescued. A leader with so few soldiers had come to his rescue when Breakdown’s own faction wouldn’t. Well, Knock Out would have in a sparkbeat, was still calling to Breakdown worriedly over the open comm line actually, but Megatron hadn’t allowed him to.

“Breakdown? Are you alright? Breakdown, say something!” Knock Out had finally shouted, anxiety rising with his partner’s continued silence.

“Huh, yeah, I’m alright,” he’d muttered, processors racing. Could he return to serve a mech who had left him to die? To be dissected out and used for scrap? It had taken MECH all of half an hour to drill one of his optics out and turn it into a two way communications unit, and Breakdown shudders at the thought of what they could have done with more time before Bulkhead had bashed in the door.

Now, Knock Out huffs over the line and interrupts Breakdown’s thoughts, “Where are you? Breakdo-”

Feeling sick in his tanks, Breakdown cuts the comm line. If he was going to do this, he didn’t want Knock Out to be a part of it. Megatron will be furious anyway, and he’ll be slagged if he’s going to drag his shiny red medic down with him. The Autobots- Bulkhead to be exact- had saved him. Breakdown had saved Bulkhead when he tackled him out of the way of one of those stun darts. There wasn’t really any going back. “…Bulkhead,” he begins, unable to even look at the Wrecker. “I wanna to talk to the Prime.”

“Uh…. Why? Shouldn’t you be running off to bridge back to your ship?”

Breakdown debates whether or not to respond and instead just stick close to Bulkhead until Optimus is forced to meet him, but he decides that that likely isn’t the wisest course of action… Not that he’s known for wisdom. “Because MECH used a sawblade to split my chassis wide open and Megatron wouldn’t _let_ anyone come to help me,” he mutters. “They were going to completely gut me, and Silas was making me _watch it happen_.”

Bulkhead’s optics widen in surprise as his jaw drops, but the sound of four engines approaching rapidly distracts him from replying. With a squeal of tires, the other Autobots have slid to a halt and transformed, weapons ready, though thankfully pointed at the ground.

“Breakdown,” Optimus greets him, keeping his optics on the Decepticon’s remaining one. He knows that the other Autobots- Ratchet especially- are ogling the blue mech’s injuries, but Optimus had seen enough during their video communication with Silas.

“Why?” he can’t help but ask. He shouldn’t be questioning the mech who’d apparently ordered his rescue, but he has to know.

“We could not be sure that the Decepticons were aware of your capture, and MECH is a common enemy,” the Prime says, not missing how Breakdown glances toward Bulkhead. “Bulkhead came under his own initiative.”

“Is your radio damaged? I can repair it so you can call for a bridge,” Ratchet offers, assuming that is why Breakdown is still here. Driving off into the wilderness with no way to call for help would deter almost anyone.

Breakdown wrings his servos together. “They hadn’t gotten to that yet. Uh…” the blue mech hesitates, knowing he should be looking at the Prime for this, but unable to bring himself to do it. His sensors are beginning to register pain again, distracting him and making this even more difficult. “Got any room for a defector in your base?”

“What!” Bulkhead shouts. “Just because we saved you-“

“Bulkhead,” the Prime chastises calmly, silencing the Wrecker. “Breakdown, why would you wish to defect? Is it because no Decepticons have arrived yet? We do not intend to take you prisoner, if that is what you fear.”

Breakdown shakes his helm, grunting quietly when the motion agitates the sensors in his empty socket, “I already called Knock Out. Megatron isn’t letting anyone come for me. He was going to let me die in there. I can’t go back, and I’m not too good at going solo on alien worlds.”

“Even Knock Out wouldn’t come for you?” the green mech asks, knowing that Breakdown and the medic are close.

“Couldn’t.”

Optimus Prime retracts his blasters before he approaches Breakdown. “We will provide you with shelter and energon so long as you cooperate and are non-violent, Breakdown. We will expect some intelligence in return- mine locations and possible future locations of interest, and you will be restricted to the base and be under guard until further notice, but we will not attempt to force you to fight. Do you still wish to defect?”

Hesitating again, Breakdown casts a quick glance at Bulkhead and Bumblebee, who are the only other Autobots he can see around Optimus. Bumblebee seems to be watching the Prime more than him, and Bulkhead looks to be in a state of shock that the red and blue mech is considering letting Breakdown defect. “What happens when I run out of info to give?” he asks quietly, turning his gaze up to the Prime’s and resisting the instinct to step backwards.

Optics softening, Optimus lowers his voice, “It is my hope that you will have earned our trust by that time, Breakdown. We will give you the opportunity to begin anew. It will be up to you to decide what to do with that opportunity.”

“I…uh… I would really appreciate some repairs too… If your medic wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course.”

“I’m in,” Breakdown says, and he ignores the sinking feeling in his spark at knowing that he just left Knock Out alone with the Decepticons. Leaving the medic is better for him than risking getting him into trouble, though.

Optimus Prime nods, and casts his gaze back at Ratchet. “Ground bridge please, Ratchet. Arcee, Bumblebee, the two of you explore what you can of this base and destroy the computers. I have no doubt that Silas transferred his data before retreating, but that information cannot lie on an accessible computer for others to discover.”

“Yes sir,” Arcee acknowledges before she and Bumblebee transform and drive down the tunnel that Bulkhead and Breakdown had emerged from.

“We’re not actually bringing him with us, are we?” Bulkhead asks, glancing back and forth between the Prime and his archrival.

“We are, Bulkhead,” Optimus replies as the ground bridge portal opens in the courtyard with them. He ushers Breakdown forward with a gentle servo on the back. Honestly, the Prime is prepared to catch Breakdown should he stumble. He hadn’t missed how MECH had been working on Breakdown’s legs as well as chassis. Other than a quiet grunt as he takes his first step, the blue mech walks uneventfully toward the ground bridge with only a slight hesitation of a fraction of a second before stepping through the ground bridge after Ratchet.

He’d expected something larger and more high-tech as he looks around the main area of the base, but Breakdown supposes that the Autobots are forced to work with what they can get. They do not have a ship of Cybertronian origin. They don’t appear to have much that is of Cybertronian origin, actually.

“The medical bay is that way,” Optimus interrupts Breakdown’s thoughts, pointing to the left. The blue mech watches Bulkhead quickly usher a human into his front seat before hurriedly driving out of the base with her.

Ratchet is already organizing tools by the time Optimus has ushered Breakdown over. “I’m going to put you in temporary shut down while I work. Your sensors are already stressed from registering pain, so I don’t want to strain them further by shutting them off,” the medic explains, watching Breakdown warily and getting a closer exam of the mech’s injuries.

“MECH shut them off so I could watch anyway. I’m not sure shutting them off again would do anymore damage,” Breakdown shrugs, regretting it when it causes the jagged edges of his chest plate to grind together.

The red and white Autobot doesn’t miss the distinct flinch. He curses MECH quietly for a moment, rolling his optics to the ceiling in exasperation. “Fine. If they went rooting around in your processors, I can’t power you down _anyway_. Who knows what else they messed with in your head. On the table. I’ll shut your sensors off again. I’ll have to dig through your processors before I even begin working on your frame now. Can’t let errors work themselves into glitches.”

Breakdown can’t help but hesitate. “You’re not gonna rewrite me, are you?”

“ _Puh_ lease. What do you take me for, a Decepticon? On the berth. Now.”

“You will be in good hands, Breakdown,” the Prime assures him.

He does his best to ignore the jibe at being a Decepticon. A Decepticon wouldn’t rewrite a bot- well, okay, Knock Out wouldn’t rewrite a bot…. Unless Megatron ordered him to…. Then he would…. “Yeah alright,” he grunts, not seeing any alternative but to trust the Autobots. If he’s going to defect, he’s got to learn to trust them and earn their trust. He lets Ratchet plug into a medical port at the base of his helm, and lowers his firewalls for the equipment.

“Slagging butchers just bashed their way in,” Ratchet growls, glaring at the monitor as six errors are detected immediately. He uploads some coding to properly deactivate Breakdown’s sensors, and he hears the blue mech sigh in relief as the pain disappears once more. That taken care of at least, Ratchet sets himself to repairing the damaged lines of code that MECH had deleted and scrambled in their attempts to hack the Decepticon as the scanner continues making its way further into Breakdown’s systems.

“Is there any serious damage?” Optimus asks.

Ratchet casts his glance back at the two mechs behind him, realizing that he should probably elaborate, “No. They can become serious if they aren’t addressed now, but you’re in no imminent danger, Breakdown. I can have you repaired by the end of the day.” He pauses, turning to face the blue mech more fully. “Well…. Mostly repaired. It will take me some time to repair the optic after MECH…. _tinkered_ with it,” Ratchet admits, his distaste for the humans’ actions clear on his faceplates.

“Don’t bother,” Breakdown shrugs. “I don’t really want it back anyway.”

“Breakdown? Are you certain?” Optimus asks calmly before Ratchet can get frustrated.

The Decepticon- _former_ Decepticon- absently brushes some dirt out of one of his knee joints before he speaks, “I don’t wanna forget my failure… And it would feel wrong to have it reinstalled after…. I don’t want it back.”

“Then I can repair the damage and have a patch on you before the end of the day,” Ratchet replies, correcting more errors in the mech’s programming.

“You think you can finish everything?” Breakdown asks, eager to change the subject.

The medic snorts, “You’ll be sick of my winning personality by the time we’re through, but yes.”

“Nah, I put up with Starscream pretty well.”

Ratchet barks out a laugh before he can stop himself, and even Optimus allows himself a smile. “Maybe your time in my medbay won’t be so tortuous after all,” Ratchet says lightly, finishing up correcting the errors in Breakdown’s processors.

“Arcee to base. Requesting a ground bridge,” the femme’s voice comes from the base’s main computer. Ratchet glances at the Prime, checking that he will remain with Breakdown, before he approaches the computer and activates the ground bridge. It doesn’t take long for Bumblebee and Arcee to stroll through, and they approach the medbay area as Ratchet closes the bridge and rejoins them.

“Did you receive damage?” the medic asks the two new arrivals before they can question Breakdown.

Bumblebee raises his hands in surrender, and he turns and leaves the area. Arcee lingers for a moment, squinting in suspicion, but doesn’t want to incur Ratchet wrath by being in his way. The two Autobots remain nearby though, should they overhear any tidbit of information or be required to subdue the Decepticon.

“I didn’t actually think you’d take me in,” Breakdown admits quietly as Ratchet gathers more tools.

Optimus shifts behind the blue mech before he replies. “The others will be less than thrilled by your presence, especially Bulkhead, but we will welcome you here so long as you conduct yourself in an acceptable manner.”

“That means watch where you step and don’t attack anyone,” Ratchet supplies, his gruff mood returning as he once again surveys the amount of repairs that Breakdown’s frame requires. He knocks on the blue mech’s chassis. “Unlock this.”

Breakdown stiffens. That was the second thing MECH had gone after and what they’d spent the longest rooting around in. “Can’t you repair my legs or arms first?”

“I’d rather have you unable to walk for now than have you unable to regulate your spark.”

“Optic?”

“Spark over cosmetic patch.” Ratchet sighs, his expression softening a bit, “You can sit up the whole time and you’re not going to be restrained. I’m not going to touch anything I don’t have to.”

Not being a fan of damage to his spark and knowing that he just can’t _feel_ the damage right now even though it may be there, Breakdown releases what locks remain on his chestplates.

Ratchet immediately reattaches a line that MECH had deemed unnecessary. “Let me know if you need to take a break, but this shouldn’t take long.”

By the end of his second week in the base, Breakdown has earned enough trust to watch the humans play video games while Arcee and Bumblebee watch him. Bulkhead still makes it very clear that he doesn’t trust Breakdown at all and that he doesn’t want the kids anywhere near him, but Miko had made him back down (much to Breakdown’s surprise). If he’s being honest with himself, the blue mech had feared that the children would remind him of the MECH agents, but he’d been relieved to find that even Jack was too small to be mistaken for one, and they had too many strange adventures to be confused for agents of a terrorist organization.

“Breakdown!”

“Huh?” he blinks, turning his gaze to Arcee. Breakdown hadn’t realized that his mind had begun to wander. The femme jerks her helm toward Ratchet, and the blue mech turns to see the medic looking impatient.

“Finally. Come here. I need to do a final check on all of your welds and make sure your self-repair has handled everything correctly.”

“Coooooool!” Miko chimes in, abandoning her place on the couch where Jack and Raf are still racing to run to the side of the platform that faces the medical bay area. “Can I watch?”

“No.”

Ratchet and Breakdown look at one another, surprised that they’d spoken at the same time. Breakdown shrugs it off, hoping that the medic is stubborn enough to run the girl off- which, so far, he has been.

“Awwwww,” the girl laments, hunching in what Breakdown is quickly recognizing as a ploy for pity. “Bulk and Optimus wouldn’t let me tag along for energon scouting, and now I can’t even watch this? What am I supposed to do?”

“You could study for that history exam that your grade rides on,” Arcee suggests.

Miko groans dramatically, trudging away. “But history is boring,” she mutters even as she opens her backpack and snatches her textbook out with unnecessary force.

Casting a grateful look at the femme who nods once in acknowledgement, Breakdown follows Ratchet to the medbay.

“Everything still feeling okay? No errors popping up?”

The blue mech shrugs. “My left leg is still a little numb, but it’s been getting better since the last scan you did. Nothing else feels weird.”

Ratchet nods once, initiating another scan. “Let me know if it doesn’t continue improving. I can-“

“Optimus to base,” comes the Prime’s voice over the comm.

The medic doesn’t finish his sentence, leaving Breakdown curious as to what he’d been about to say. Before the former Decepticon can ask him, however, Ratchet returns to the console and leaves Breakdown where he stands.

“We read you, Optimus.”

“Ratchet, bridge the children home, and then send us a bridge.”

“What’s wrong?” Ratchet asks even as he enters coordinates near the residential area of town where all the children live.

The line is silent for a long moment as the children, having heard what Optimus said, climb down off the platform and pile into Bumblebee’s alt mode after the scout has transformed. Ratchet opens the bridge and Bumblebee speeds out before the Prime speaks again. “Prepare for wounded.”

Breakdown watches as Ratchet and Arcee stiffen. He’s pretty sure he should get out of the way, but he doesn’t want to make a move until one of the Autobots tells him to. Otherwise they might think that he’s making a move for the ground bridge controls while Ratchet has it unlocked.

“Move,” Arcee orders, gesturing for Breakdown to come toward her and likely go down a hallway so he’s out of the way, but Ratchet opens the ground bridge for Optimus and Bulkhead before the blue mech can really comply.

“I can walk!”

“Technically,” Bulkhead retorts.

Breakdown freezes, his optic wide in surprise and anticipation as he stares at the ground bridge portal. From his position off to the side, he cannot see the actual origin of the portal, but he knows that voice. But… How? He should be with the Decepticons.

Optimus appears around the corner first, and he steps backwards to allow passage to the mechs behind him.

Bulkhead’s green plating appears next, but Breakdown’s optic catches a flash of red on the Wrecker’s far side and he zeroes in on it. I can’t be.

“Knock Out?”

Even though he’d spoken quietly, the red mech limps out in front of Bulkhead and glares at Breakdown

“You _idiot._ What were you thinking?!”

“Uh…”

“ _Were_ you thinking?!?!!” Knock Out yells, limping over and jabbing Breakdown in the chest with a single digit. “You cut our comm and then just disappeared! What was _I_ supposed to think?!”

Breakdown doesn’t reply, dropping to his knees instead. “Your leg….”

“Your optic,” Knock Out snaps.

The blue mech hesitates, distinctly aware of the Autobots staring at the two. “I’m sorry… I thought you’d be safer if I didn’t even tell you I was planning to leave… Thought Megatron would only wanna kill me then,” he mutters quietly, servos reaching cautiously to touch Knock Out.

The medic trembles slightly as Breakdown touches his arms, but he doesn’t pull away. “Megatron was insufferable. I kept searching for you, sneaking out for it so the Nemesis’ sensor logs couldn’t be traced and someone would write it off as me racing. Megatron found out and thought I knew where you were though, so he’s been making me mine energon during every waking hour- couldn’t sneak off with the miners around me,” Knock Out replies just as quietly.

“He didn’t-“

“No. My leg got crushed in a cave in. The vehicons guarding the mine panicked and brought the thing down on top of our heads. Did they-“

“No, MECH took my optic. Ratchet offered to repair and reinstall it, but I didn’t want it back… Felt wrong.”

“The patch is handsome, at least.”

Breakdown smiles. “Makes me look tough.”

“You’re still an idiot.”

“I know, but… I’m still _your_ idiot… Right?”

“Duh.”

And that is the single most ungraceful, wonderful sound that Breakdown has ever heard come from Knock Out’s mouth.


	2. Awkward Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Knock Out and Breakdown get settled in

If he’s being honest with himself, Knock Out is grateful to Bumblebee. The yellow muscle car had gathered up the humans and driven them out of the base as soon as was convenient, and so they’d only witnessed the beginning of the mushy stuff. He’s also grudgingly grateful to Ratchet for making Arcee and Bulkhead leave what passes for the Autobot’s medical bay before carefully removing the crushed plating from his leg.

“Breakdown…. You said you were ‘planning to leave…’ How long-“

The blue mech hurries to interrupt, “Wait uh no that’s not what I meant. I planned on leaving only when you said Megatron wouldn’t let anyone come for me. I planned about two nanoclicks ahead. I just wasn’t sure they’d take me.”

Knock Out relaxes knowing that Breakdown hadn’t been planning on leaving him for a long time. “I assume you promised them information in return for a place to stay. That’s probably how Prime and Bulkhead wound up stumbling into the mine I was in when we’d only started digging there yesterday.”

“Yeah, I gave them a list of all the ones with energon left I could think of.”

“You mean you didn’t hold back a few to keep yourself useful?” Knock Out frowns. Out of his sight for two weeks and Breakdown has already done at least three monumentally stupid things- get captured by MECH, defect, and give all his info at once.

“We promised him a place to stay and safety. He doesn’t have a reason to hide anything,” Ratchet pipes up.

For the first time since the Decepticon’s repairs started, Optimus speaks. “The same promise we made to you before you agreed to leave Megatron’s service as well, Knock Out.”

Knock Out turns his gaze up toward the ceiling of the Autobot base. “Yes. Well, I’d have probably followed you through that ground bridge portal just because you said you had Breakdown, and you aren’t known for lying. But don’t think that this makes me some soft sparked _Autobot._ ”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Ratchet grouses as he runs a scan on the damage now that he’s finally got the armor plating removed. “Just don’t attack or step on anyone.”

“Jack and Raf are actually pretty good about being out of the way, but if you don’t know exactly where all three of them are, you should watch where you walk… Miko especially. She likes to weave between your pedes,” Breakdown comments.

“You haven’t let one of them ride in you, have you? Because you need to be scrubbed clean if you have.”

“Nah. The Bots won’t let them….not that Miko hasn’t been trying. She’s got a thing for heavy alt modes.”

“I need to be scrubbed clean just hearing that. That’s it. You’re getting detailed,” Knock Out says, praying to Primus that the Autobots have a decent washrack.

“If you two are done?” Ratchet interrupts. “You already killed your pain receptors I assume?”

“Oh please. I did that while I was still yelling at the miners for leaving me behind.”

Ratchet snorts. “Yes, well, they did have Optimus and Bulkhead bearing down on them. I imagine that isn’t a situation they’d want to remain in for very long. Were none of the miners injured?”

“We searched for wounded, but Knock Out appears to have been the only casualty in the cave in,” Optimus supplies.

“I’m just lucky,” Knock Out spits, glaring at his ruined finish and damaged leg.

Breakdown knows how to fix this. “Ratchet’s just as good as you. He’ll have your leg fixed up in no time, and I’m sure I can convince Bumblebee to let me borrow his rotary buffer. I’ll polish you up better than ever. You’ll be able to see yourself in your plating once I’m done.”

For a long moment, Knock Out remains silent as he watches Ratchet repair the damage, working from the inside out. Eventually, he reaches out and grasps Breakdown’s servo. “Idiot.”

The goofy grin that appears on Breakdown’s faceplates makes the small smiles from the Autobots worth it.

\------------

“This is ridiculous. Don’t they know how to have any fun?”

Breakdown watches the frustrated Knock Out pace from his place sprawled out on the berth they’d been given to share with his back propped against the wall. Bumblebee had been offering to let one of them use his room until they could convert another room into living quarters, but the red medic had smoothly informed the scout that they would be more than happy sharing. That had flustered the poor bot and given Knock Out a kick, but that had been on his first evening here- nearly a week ago.

“I mean they don’t overcharge, they don’t really race, they don’t frag,” Knock Out lists irritably. “What do they DO?”

“I think they’re just nervous. I heard two having some fun a couple of nights before you arrived. Dunno who it was,” he adds before Knock Out can interrupt. “But I don’t think they overcharge. They don’t really have enough energon for it, and they can never be sure that the Decepticons won’t attack something.”

That has the bot stopping in his tracks. “There you go again, talking like we’re not still Decepticons.”

Breakdown waits until Knock Out actually looks at him. “We’re not, Doc. I left because Megatron abandoned me, and you left to find me. We couldn’t go back if we wanted to. You know that. Look….maybe we’re not Autobots, but we’re definitely not Decepticons anymore.”

Knock Out’s servos curl into fists and relax again several times before he slumps in defeat. “I know.”

Breakdown holds his arms out, and his cherry red medic climbs into his lap so he can pull him into a hug. “I don’t know what the future will bring, but… I’m really glad you looked for me.”

“Are you getting sappy on me?” Knock Out teases even as he snuggles in close to the big blue mech.

“Probably. You should make me shut up before it gets worse.”

Happy to oblige, Knock Out cranes his neck until he can kiss Breakdown on the mouth. “Shut up,” he purrs with a smile, bringing a servo up to idly pet Breakdown’s chassis. “Seriously though, what do they do for fun? Because I’m going stir crazy.”

“Uh, they mostly do things with the humans when they’re not busy patrolling and finding energon, and I heard Bulkhead mention lobbing once…? I don’t think Ratchet ever really gets to relax, and neither does Optimus.”

“Maybe they’re the ones you heard _relaxing_ together that night?” Knock Out suggests slyly, actually making Breakdown’s faceplates glow brighter red with embarrassment.

“Maybe.”

“You know, I had intended to ask you to frag the restlessness out of me, but now that I’m here I want to just recharge. I hope you don’t mind…?”

“Of course not,” Breakdown replies before he carefully scoots down the berth so that they can lie down. He flips the tiny light switch to kill the harsh lighting of the room, and then he goes back to hugging the medic close to himself as they both power down for the night.

\-----------------------

It's early the next morning when their door is unceremoniously opened.

"Rise and shine- oh."

Knock Out blearily onlines his optics and glares at the silhouette he recognizes as Bulkhead. "Do you mind? Really. I'd have thought Autobots would have the decency to knock," he snaps quietly, hoping not to wake Breakdown with his ire.

"Ya forgot ta lock it," Breakdown mutters, slurring in his half-awake state before he brings a servo up to wipe drool off of his mouth.

"Prime told me to invite you to have energon with us. I'll just.... Yeah," Bulkhead awkwardly finishes before backing out and shutting the door. He obviously hadn't been expecting to see the two mechs recharging curled around one another.

Breakdown sighs as he rolls over and pulls Knock Out in closer. "Sorry I didn't remind you about the door," he apologizes sleepily.

"One day I'll remember that these don't close and lock themselves."

"You already got the closing thing," the blue mech encourages. "Wanna have breakfast with Team Prime?"

Knock Out hums in thought. "Not particularly, but my levels are low. Are breakfasts a painfully Autobot affair, complete with sharing of feelings?"

"They're not that bad," Breakdown chides gently. "It's awkward 'how did you recharge's and 'Raf got a new video game's mostly. Not sure what they did before I came. They take care of any secret stuff before inviting me- uh, us. We can get energon later if you want."

"No," Knock Out sighs dramatically. "Let's go see what video games the smallest human has found. We should socialize with our hosts, I suppose. I’ve been hiding long enough."

Breakdown lets Knock Out extract himself from his bear hug and stand before he follows. He gives his medic a quick glance to check for scuffs before they leave their room. When the Autobots had given Breakdown this room, he’d been expecting someone to stand guard outside it all night. Apparently though, they’d elected to instead put him at the end of a hallway and placed proximity alarms so he couldn’t sneak by in the night.

Better than being locked in a cell (which would probably be makeshift, honestly), and this way all of the Autobots can still recharge. Still, Knock Out had called it a cage without bars, even though he’d been expecting a cell too.

“I’m leaving for patrol,” Bulkhead says as soon as the pair of (former) Decepticons enter the room where the Autobots have gathered for their morning rations.

“Your shift doesn’t start for another breem,” Ratchet points out, bemused.

With a pointed glance toward Knock Out and Breakdown before he turns, Bulkhead starts walking toward the exit. “I know. Don’t wanna cramp the lovebirds’ style.”

And, just like that, all optics that weren’t already focused on their defectors swivel to do so.

“Don’t look at us. He just barged in.”

Breakdown blushes with how Knock Out neglects to explain that they weren’t doing anything obscene, but he knows that the medic is getting a kick out of making the Autobots squirm, so he doesn’t say anything. He takes the two offered cubes from Ratchet and then hands one of them to Knock Out.

“So…. How is everyone this morning?” the blue mech asks awkwardly and lamely, unable to handle the continued silence.

“We are well. And yourselves?”

“Oh we’re lovely, hot stuff,” Knock Out replies to the Prime, unable to resist teasing him. “Though we are terribly bored.”

As always, Optimus doesn’t rise to the bait. “I apologize for the lack of excitement, but I will ask you not to traumatize Bulkhead…or the children, for that matter.”

The medic opens his mouth to retort, but Breakdown gently covers Knock Out’s mouth with a servo. “Bulkhead _did_ just walk in without knocking, and…honestly sir, we weren’t doing anything but recharging. It was as innocent as we get.”

Knock Out pulls the blue mech’s servo off of his faceplates with a dramatic sigh. “Why did you ruin my fun? _Fine_ we were _cuddling_ and it seems that was too much for Bulkhead to handle. I’m not sure what he expected- for us to be hanging off opposite edges of the berth so we wouldn’t touch? All he had to do was knock and he could have saved himself the optical trauma. Of course if he wanted a show-”

“Uh… Doc? Remember what I said about breakfasts being awkward? You’re making it worse.”

“Much worse,” Arcee grouses, standing. “Come on Bee. We should get the kids to school.”

The scout beeps in agreement and follows the femme out of the base.

Hoping that Knock Out doesn’t make any more awkward comments now that only two Autobots remain in the base with them, Breakdown finally begins drinking his energon. It’s thinner than what they had on the _Nemesis_ , but it’s certainly more purified and it tastes much better. Most of Knock Out’s time was spent cleaning gunk out of the vehicons since they have inferior filtration systems to begin with and the fuel was so sludgy. Not for the first time, Breakdown is hit with a pang of remorse knowing that he’ll likely never see any of his vehicon buddies again.

“Well, if you’re bored, you could make yourselves useful in helping with maintenance around here,” Ratchet suggests, finishing off his cube with a large gulp.

Optimus nods. “I am sure the two of you have noticed that we are low on helping hands.”

Knock Out smiles and allows his optics to darken playfully. “Will you be with us during this maintenance? I’d love to see you work.”

“Doc,” Breakdown admonishes, gently elbowing the medic. He knows Knock Out loves to flirt, and the two of them love it when the mech actually convinces a third or fourth bot to join them for an evening, but Breakdown doesn’t want Optimus Prime thinking that the medic is so single-minded. “We’ll do what we can, but I’m not so great with delicate stuff.”

“I believe there is still some damage in the lower levels from our scraplet infestation. We have power fluctuations from time to time in some of our systems,” Optimus explains.

“ _Scraplets_??? On this planet??????” Knock Out nearly spews his energon.

“We took care of the problem. Don’t be a sparkling,” Ratchet grouses. “If you’re willing, I’ll take you down to show you the damage. Like Optimus said, it’s just a few power fluctuations mostly, and then the coverings for the power cables were damaged so they’re exposed to the open air.”

“Yeah, we’ll patch things up,” Breakdown agrees for both himself and Knock Out, who is still appalled at the idea of a scraplet infestation on Earth.


End file.
